About Scutellaria mexicana (Torr.) A.J.Paton
Scutellaria mexicana (Torr.) A.J.Paton, commonly known by the common names bladder sage or paperbag bush, is a shrub that belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae. This species is set apart by its calyx lobes, which develop into small bag- or bladder-like shells around the plant's fruits. This shrub is widespread across southwestern North American deserts. It grows in sandy and gravelly slopes, desert dry washes, and canyons, found in creosote bush scrub and Joshua tree woodland plant communities of the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. It occurs in southern California, Nevada, southwestern Utah, Arizona, western Texas, Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California. The species' range extends from the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the deserts of California, east to Texas, and south into Mexico. Across this range, it occupies a variety of habitats including washes, gravelly or sandy slopes, shrubland, and woodland, and often grows mixed among other shrubs. It is relatively common; while both its foliage and flowers are sparse, its distinctive pattern of bladder-like bags makes it easy to spot from a distance.
